UNICEF-funded Bilingual Education Project Benefits Ethnic Pupils

The Mother Tongue - based Bilingual Education project funded by UNICEF in Vietnam has proven effective, benefiting teachers, pupils, and education managers in the beneficiary localities, heard a conference in Hanoi on September 16. Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Vinh Hien highlighted the significance of the project, and praised the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF)’s support for Vietnam’s education cause, especially in ethnic minority areas. The ministry encourages localities to expand the project, he stressed, adding that this helps not only teach Vietnamese language to ethnic minority pupils but also improve the education quality and efficiency in ethnic minority areas, contributing to preserving cultural identities of ethnic minority groups. During the event, participants shared experience in implementing the project and discussed future cooperation orientations in the context of comprehensive education reform in Vietnam. The Ministry of Education and Training has successfully implemented the UNICEF’s initiative promoting mother tongue-based bilingual education in Lao Cai, Gia Lai and Tra Vinh provinces since 2008. Mother tongue-based bilingual education is an effective approach to help ensure children have equal access to quality education, empowering ethnic minority groups, assisting in their societal integration and contributing to the country’s sustainable development. Studies and results from the project show that the use of the mother tongue encourages and supports learning of ethnic minority students, encouraging them to remain in school and improve their academic achievements, skills and attitude. Ethnic minority children taught in their native languages have better educational outcomes than their peers learning in Vietnamese. (vietnamplus.vn Sept 18)